Enoch Mgijima dies

Enoch Mgijima

Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Enoch Mgijima (Mgizima), Fingo prophet of the Israelites sect in the Eastern Cape, died in Ntabelanga, Queenstown. His followers, believing Enoch's claim that they were under the special protection of God, had defied orders by the government to leave the Bulhoek commonage outside Queenstown. This had lead to the Bulhoek Massacre in 1921. In the conflict with police, his followers charged fanatically on his orders, believing that the bullets would turn into water. Mgijima was arrested with two other leaders and sentenced to six years' imprisonment for sedition, but was released in 1924, after which he returned to Queenstown.

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How we know this

01Potgieter, D.J. et al. (eds)(1970). Standard Encyclopaedia of Southern Africa, Cape Town: NASOU, v. 7, p. 383.
02SAHO Enoch Mgijima from SAHO [online]Available at: www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 13 March 2014]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, March 16). Enoch Mgijima dies. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011492

South African History Online (2011) 'Enoch Mgijima dies', South African History Online, 16 March. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011492 (Accessed: 28 July 2026).

South African History Online, Enoch Mgijima dies [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011492, (accessed 28 July 2026).

"Enoch Mgijima dies." South African History Online, 16 Mar. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011492. Accessed 28 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Enoch Mgijima dies." South African History Online. March 16, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0011492.